I was 19 when my family and I decided to take a road trip down to Puebla, Mexico. It was a three-day trip simply to get down to Texas. Being that McAllen was on our way, my mom insisted we pass by our old house as she wanted to see what became of it.

1994-1997

When I was five my family and I lived in McAllen, a little border town located on the most southern tip of Texas. Even with its high minority population, McAllen was known for being conservative. My family and I lived in a small house with a huge backyard and a big lime tree in the front yard that my mom had planted one summer.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been going to the emergency room with every illness, ailment, or injury that couldn’t be cured with a home remedy. In fact, I believed it was the only option for immediate medical treatment…